National Security

 

The United States of America faces many threats in the world. Many of the threats come as a result of the world's awareness that we are a "City upon a hill, and that the eyes of all people are upon us" as John Winthrop stated many years ago. Other countries resent our country's great friendship with Israel. We understand that with our standing in the world comes great responsibilities, and I do not apologize for the United States' involvement in the world.

 

However, we must be ever vigilant to the threats we, and our allies, face in the world around us. Iran is quickly mastering their nuclear program. North Korea is doing the same. Radical Islamists seek to case great unrest in the Middle East, ensuring that governments are toppled, and then installing their own leaders in the aftermath. All of this is extremely troubling in the world we live in today.

 

Instead of meeting these challenges head on, the United States of America, under the leadership of President Barack Obama, has sought to prostate herself before the rest of the world, stand by when people fighting for their Democracy are slaughtered in the streets of Iran, and do little to prevent a country (such as Iran or North Korea) from making advances in their nuclear programs. I believe very strongly that the United States should not apologize for who she is or what she stands for; that the United States should do more to come to the aid of those bravely fighting against their dictatorial regimes; and that the United States should do everything in her power to ensure that rogue nations do not obtain the nuclear weaponry that they might be pursuing.

 

To maintain a solid national defense, the United States of America must do three things: we must continue to hold to our beliefs that made us such a great nation in the first place; we must be able to define terror for what it really is, being ready to call out a rogue nation or group that might be engaging in detrimental activity to freedom anywhere in the world, willing to go to any step to eradicate that threat; and we must secure and defend our border as soon and as efficiently as possible.

 

President Obama has allowed leaders from Iran and North Korea to condemn the United States and Israel on many occasions. He has silently stood by while these leaders speak of fanatical dreams of great catastrophes they hope to inflict upon our two nation. The President appears to hope that simple designs of economic sanctions bring swift cessation to their evil plans for humanity. This is a perilous road to travel down. Terrorists and rogue dictators do not listen to reason; everything must be on the table when the United States of America deals with terrorists, or Iran, or North Korea. If economic sanctions are used, they must be so comprehensive - so stifling - that even when a crow flies across one of these countries it would have to pack its own lunch. This is the only way these people understand: they speak of force; we must be forceful in our response.

 

In response to the growing threats and technological capabilities emerging around the United States, I recently introduced the "SHIELD Act" in 112th Congress - an act meant to protect most of our country's electrical infrastructure against an attack from an electromagnetic pulse weapon (EMP). The great advancement in technological capabilities around the world have made the creation of such a weapon possible, and I will not stand by and watch our country remain unprepared against such an attack.

 

I am a firm believer in the development of future missile defense systems for our country. The people of the United States should know beyond a show of a doubt that they are safe from any missile attack that might come their way. We must increase funding and research possibilities to this endeavor so that our missile defense systems remain current and ready to combat any weaponry that might come our way in the future.

 

As the primary purpose of the federal government is to protect its citizens, we must ensure this by guaranteeing that our military strength, law enforcement, and intelligence community remains the best in the world. We must continue to modernize our weapons systems, our missile defense capabilities, armor for our soldiers and their vehicles, and of course, we must ensure our men and women are given every tool they need in order to carry out their mission at home and abroad. We must also ensure that our law enforcement officers are adequately trained and protected and that our intelligence community has a legal framework in which they can uphold civil liberties while at the same time are given the flexibility to glean critical information that will protect Americans from harm.